RETAILERS have warned of confusion and chaos over new drinks laws which come into force on Tuesday.

Days before the biggest change in decades to alcohol licensing, the Scottish Government has been accused of doing too little to inform the public. Industry leaders say they are seeking last-minute âclarificationâ over the legality of offers like three bottles of wine for Â£10.

The 2005 Licensing (Scotland) Act is a complete overhaul of the licence system.

From next week, no alcohol can be sold in shops before 10am, a curb retailers say could inconvenience shift workers and those who shop when stores are quiet.

Under the new laws, bar staff in Edinburgh say they have been banned from asking customers if theyâd like the âsame againâ â and told to offer a glass of water instead.

While the city council insists it has still not decided how to interpret many aspects of the new legislation, mandatory training courses for bar staff are already under way. Some who have been on the courses say that, as well as being told not to offer customers the âsame againâ so as not to encourage heavy drinking, they have been advised to always offer a glass of water.

One who had been on the training course said: âSome of the things we have to do are completely ridiculous, like not asking folk if theyâd like the same again.â

The new rules ban âirresponsibleâ promotions in pubs and clubs, while supermarkets and shops can only display alcohol in specific areas.

âThere have to be clear assurances that enforcement bodies will take a sympathetic, common-sense approach. Mr Shearer said current âguidanceâ suggested the new legislation was not intended to apply to promotions in shops.

But he claimed retailers âcannot face the chaos of disparities and unpredictability in the way different local licensing authorities apply the act.â

However, consumers are expected to welcome the extension to licensing hours on a Sunday, which allows alcohol to be bought from 10am for the first time.

So how does it affect the person popping out for the weekly big shop at 0900hrs?

And what about these "irresponsible" offers of 3 bottles of wine for Â£10? Or discounts for "nearly" out of date stock? Happy hours are now outlawed I take it?

Yet again idiots have been allowed to legislate.

Instead of Nannying about, how about tougher sanctions on the be1l end5 who can't be trusted? ie "You're p1ssed and behaving like a twat, sir. Take a mandatory 48 hours in the drunk tank, the magistrate will see you tommorrow morning".

Works in Holland, where a one week to one month jail sentance can be handed out (on a Saturday or Sunday morning) to little miscreants who have upset the Cloggie Polizei. They don't even get to go home to grab their toothbrush

The only ones who will be unaffected will be meths swilling alkies and gangs of under age drinkers who historically donât know there are two 10 Oâclock in a normal day, and will still get their Bucky at 18:00hrs when their drink fuelled rage is again vented on the hard working decent people who canât afford to go to the pub any more.

Works in Holland, where a one week to one month jail sentance can be handed out (on a Saturday or Sunday morning) to little miscreants who have upset the Cloggie Polizei. They don't even get to go home to grab their toothbrush

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Bit of a problem there, the Cloggie Plod, like most EuroPlod are expected to keep the streets safe and free of drunken thugs. Our plod are fully occupied dealing with the deadly threat of motorists, which Liebour assures me are the biggest threat to life, limb and public order in the UK.

Bit of a problem there, the Cloggie Plod, like most EuroPlod are expected to keep the streets safe and free of drunken thugs. Our plod are fully occupied dealing with the deadly threat of motorists, which Liebour assures me are the biggest threat to life, limb and public order in the UK.

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True, and of course your average EuroPC is also backed up in court and by their superiors.

ie if a EuroPC says you were "acting like a cnut" then you were, and the nightstick round your head was the result.

As I am sure many a drunken British squaddie fresh on the continent has learned... probably quickly

Anyone else find it quite strange in that this law is being passed in the home country of our illustrious one eyed leader?...

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Not at all ...and how long before its introduced into England ? theres already talk of a smoking licence purchased yearly from the post office and on the spot fines for any smoker caught without one.
Say what you like about our European cousins but not one takes a blind bit of notice of the smoking bans in France, Spain etc still see smokers lightening up in pubs and bars, while in the UK we meekly accept any sh1t thrown at us...